Raising Naruto
by Ellisama
Summary: After surviving the sealing, Minato has to raise his son and lead his village on his own, while dealing with the loss of his wife. Enemy ninjas, evil paperwork and never ending counsil meetings, the ninja world is not a place for babies.
1. Red Walls

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Raising Naruto

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**Important Author's note (for once):**As you may, or may have not seen, I've abandoned **'A not so Silent return'.**I know this will upset many fans, and I've promised a rewrite, but while I was rewriting the chapters, I just couldn't take it anymore. I forgot why I first started the fic, even forgot how I was planning on continuing it, or even ending. And I've lost interest in it. **BUT to make up for it: A YONDY-DADDY fic**. Which you are reading now. This won't be very long, and not too funny, but I know exactly what I'm going to do with it, and it's going to be **SWEET!**

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**Fake Red Walls**

This just didn't seem right. The happy, energetic red walls of the nursery seemed grey in his eyes. As if the only real colour of red had been buried along with his wife today. As if the happiness she her hart had given it when she painted it, had been taken back by her death. Red, those walls didn't deserve the name 'red'! They were a pathetic copy of the real deal, a cheap excuse for a colour that had meant everything for him. They weren't worthy of it, just like everything red in the house, the village, the entire world!

Still, he had locked himself in this room, the only red room in the house, for the past day. Why? Because it was the only room in the house which still smelled like her, the last room she had been. They had spend a lot of time in this room the last few days, making sure everything was alright when the baby came. She had been so excited, so ... vividly.

He'd loved this room from the start, the very moment she decided she didn't need anybody to paint or decorate it. He'd always loved how full of energy and love the room had been, from the red walls to the white crib. Now he understood it had been radiating from her all this time. He hated this room for it, yet he couldn't be anywhere else. Because at least this room _tried_ to be red, poorly but with good intentions, while all the others had just turned grey, forgetting about her.

Then he heard something, something he couldn't quite define. 'Is it a voice?' He asked himself. 'Or is it the wind, reminding me I'm alone?' He blamed it on his senses, since they had somehow been turned off since the he had entered this room, he couldn't identify this sound. It wasn't a bad sound, it wasn't a good sound. It weren't words, and it wasn't the wind. Bit by bit, he scratched away the possibilities. 'No enemy ninjas, no walls coming down.' It wasn't a very loud sound, yet it was a penetrating one, and it penetrated his very soul.

It was a cry. Not just a cry, someone was crying. And then he realised, not just someone was crying, his baby was crying.

'_Naruto' _

Amazing how one word can create an overload in one's brain, and with that single word running through it, his mind stopped working. Instincts kicked in, and Minato finally left his sitting position between the four fake red walls and walked to it's way out: The door. Without realising what he was doing, how he did it or what he had been doing the past hours, he broke the seals, and opened the door slowly.

And there he was, cold and alone on the floor. By the time Minato realised he was holding his son, he had already resealed the room and was sitting at his former spot, again.

His boy had stopped crying, and Minato wondered how long he had been crying before he realised it. How long he had been there, and if he had left him there. He didn't remember entering the room, neither entering the house. He had even forgotten he had a son, but remembered it now, as if he had always known. He suddenly realised why they'd had a nursery, why Kushina had painted it 'red'.

Naruto. His child. Their child. Kushina's child.

He'd never thought of how his children would look like, if he would ever get any. Now he realised he never would even have been able to begin to imagine how beautiful their child would be. His sleeping form in his arms, like it was meant to be there. Small fingers clutching his shirt, as if he was afraid he would ever let him go again. A small chest, rising with every new breath he took, peaceful like the wind. Small eyes with little tears in his eyes were closed, as if he could see his mother in his dreams.

This baby had been their dream, her dream and his dream. But he was no longer a dream, he was real and in his arm, no longer out of reach. Minato too closed his eyes, letting the tears flow for the first time. It felt good, it felt like he woke up from a nightmare, even if she wouldn't be there to comfort him.

Opening his eyes, he witnessed a new kind of blue. For years after that day, people would tell him otherwise, but Minato believed he had first seen the true meaning of blue that day. There he saw Naruto's eyes, wet his father's and his own tears but wide open, staring at him with something that he would later explain as hope. Seeing his father's eyes so empty, the little child started to cry again.

Again, it went through his entire body, shredding his heart into peaces this time. Not knowing what to do, he tried to comfort Naruto with words. "It's okay little one, daddy's here"

Upon hearing this words little Naruto fell silent, his eyes meeting his father's again. This time, they found no void, only concern. As if content, he closed his own and cuddled into his father's shirt, falling back into his previous sleep. His father couldn't help but follow his exsample, and lay down himself, keeping his son on his chest with his arms.

"I'm never going to let you go Naruto." He whispered to his son while staring at the ceiling, which was trying very hard to be red, too. _'Apparently'_, he thought just before his mind went blank, _'the ceiling is succeeding better than the walls...'_

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By the time he woke up, the ceiling had become a better imitation of red. Of course, he'd only noticed it after he'd fed Naruto some milk, cuddled him and decided his falling eyelids were a sign of exhaustion and put him into the crib. The walls seemed getting better, too.

But Minato wouldn't be fooled this time, for he knew his son was teaching them how to be red, just like his mother had done.

His arms seemed empty without his son there, every vision different from the sight of his son a waste, so he kept staring at the boy till he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Though he couldn't sleep, he could listen to Naruto's small breaths. Memorising every detail of them, he opened his eyes again and touched his boy's cheek. Tracking the tree little lines on them, Minato was certain: Naruto was perfect in every way of the word.

Then stood up and walked out of the room, facing the red walls one more time. They weren't the real red, but he couldn't blame them.

After all, it was hard to level the perfection of the colour of his wife's hair, or the colour of his son's smiling cheeks.

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For those who didn't get it: The red walls symbolise Minato's outlook on life. Don't think that Minato has come over the loss of his wife, but from now on he'll at least be able to function. It'll take a while before he'll have peace with it.

Well, I guess you got a little idea of what I'm planning to do. Hope you like it. By the way, if you want to see what brought this up: Check the **Chapter 439 Raws**, and you'll see why.

Review if feel like it, it would make me happy.


	2. Another Obvious Lie

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Raising Naruto

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**Unimportant Author's note:** First: thanks for the reviews. Second: This 'moment' is set a couple of days later.

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**Another Obvious Lie**

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto" He said once more, cherishing every little syllable of it's sound. It had been his decision to use Kushina's name as well as his. After all, he was their son, not just his.

"It's a good name." Someone said. "But I didn't know you were planning on giving him her name as well."

Remembering who was sitting next to him, he answered his former teacher. "Neither did I"

Before he was born, there had been no discussion about the names. They simultaneously agreed on his first name, and since Kushina had taken over his surname when she married him, they never even talked about their child's. It seemed so obvious back then.

Just like it seemed so obvious to name him 'Namikaze-Uzumaki' right now.

"It just felt so right." He continued after spacing out, again.

This worried Jiraiya even more. He and Tsunade had been worrying about him for the past week, and even if he was still bad, he was pulling through better now. It was a big improvement on the shadow of Minato that returned from the sealing, and locked himself up in the nursery for 2 days. He didn't even respond to their appearances, not recognizing or even hearing their voices. They had been taking care of Naruto for a while, but after a day they decided only Naruto could save him.

They had been right, although Minato still wasn't completely saved. He hadn't left the house, and hardly ever lost Naruto out of sight, but at least he was walking and talking, and making improvement.

"How is the village coping?"

This brought Jiraiya down to earth, but surprised, no shocked him quite a bit. _'I didn't know you were ready for that yet... Maybe you are coping better than we originally thought'_ was running through his mind_'Or maybe it's just a way to escape the void Kushina left in this house'_

"Bad. Many people died during the attack, most houses were destroyed or damaged and the people are without a leader." He answered truthfully, knowing it was pointless to lie to his student.

In any other situation he would have laughed about the clearly visible realisation on Minato's face. It was if he suddenly remembered he was Hokage, or actually anything other than a father and husband. Knowing his mind would go in an overload if he would do something now, he immidiatly continued.

"Sarutobi-sensei took his old job back for a while, so the real leadership isn't the point." He answered truthfully yet again, seeing a lot of worry disappear from Minato's eyes. "But they need you as a symbol."

It took a while before Minato was able to answer with an answer he had from the second he heard Jiraiya say those words, only he still didn't understand. They needed hope, they needed a leader that let them to the future, not dwelling in the past.

He knew Naruto needed him as a father, more than anything. He knew he needed his son, more than air and more than water. He knew his village needed hope, more than a father.

"I know." Those words seemed so easy to say. So obvious. They why did it seem like a lie?

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For the first time in a week, Minato was not holding Naruto yet smiling. Sure, it wasn't a real smile, but the people of Konoha didn't know that. They only saw their Hokage on the balcony, telling them what had happened and what they were going to do. Giving them a purpose, for he knew many of them had also lost it together with some loved ones.

"... The Kyuubi No Kitsune died. After ..." A little lie didn't matter today. If people would know the beast was very alive at the moment, and wasn't going to die by human hands, they wouldn't have cheered, like they did right now. They would be yelling or something alike, telling him to kill his son, most likely. No, they would never know, for their deserved their oblivious bliss, and his son a childhood.

"... yet many lives were lost. But let's not dwell in the past but look to the future, so ..." Another lie didn't matter now. If the people would only know how good he was at 'not dwelling in the past', they wouldn't be listening to him like this, like he was their Messiah, or even God. They would be yelling, telling him he was a hypocrite, telling him he was a inhuman, that lost lives can't 'just be forgotten'. That there was no future for a broken family. But they couldn't see it was an obvious lie.

They saw what they wanted to see. They saw hope, a leader, a hero. Years later, people would still speak about their fearless hero who killed the Kyuubi and gave the people hope. They would say he had faced more hardship than anybody else, yet remained strong.

Only his closest friends would know just how strong Minato had been when he had been crying, how he had lost all hope.

".. Let us find new hope, a hope for the future." And with those last words, said Hokage finished his speech, returning to his own hope. The fake smile was immediately replaced by another one. Given, this one was smaller, but it was most definitely not a lie. His son immediately mirrored his with a smile on of his own, as if to say it was alright.

"He's a sweet little boy, Minato" Tsunade said, while handing him over to his father. "And he's pretty smart too, most young baby's don't understand or respond to their parents emotions like this at his age."

Even before Minato could answer, Naruto did in his very own way by starting to cry very loud. This prevoked not only the attention of a very worried father, but also the diminishing crowd's one. While the entire village was wondering why there was crying from up there, Minato immidiatly moved inside. Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraiya followed him with a puzzeled expression on his face.

"Why are you trying to hide Naruto?" the latter one asked his student, voicing all their thoughts.

Minato sighed before he answered. "What do you think Iwa would do if they would find out I had a son AND my village was weakened? They know they can blackmail me with Naruto. Hell, I would do anything for him."

"But keeping the village out?" Tsunade asked him this time. "What life do you think you're giving your child? You can't keep him next to you forever, Minato."

Wasn't it obvious? Why couldn't they see that he did it for the sake of his village, and not himself? "I'm not planning on keeping his existence a secret for the village. I'm not just going to present him to my enemies on a silver platter!"

Wasn't it obvious what they would do? Wasn't it obvious they would try to kill him?

Wasn't it obvious ...?

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Alright, that last few sentences were the 'obvious lies' the title speaks about. Everybody most likely sees just how over protective he is over Naruto. So he's basicly keeping Naruto for himself for a while.

Anyway, anybody curious what reminded me I still had to put this one up? **CHAPTER 440 RAW!!!**{Naruto owns his daddy, in multiple ways}

Well, we've been through the one of the more dramatic parts of the fic! A happier chapter inspired by a beautiful picture on deviantart is comming up! **If you already want to see the picture (it's kind of a preview for the chapter) , look at my profile, I have a link posted over there.** Next chapter will also be longer.

Sayonara!


	3. Babysitting Wars and Broken Watches

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Raising Naruto

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**Important Author's note:** Sorry for the delay: I was** _sick_**for at least 10 days, and with all the school work I had to catch up, I didn't exactly have time to write this. That's why it's short and late. Next chapter is planned on schedule: **the 16th of April.**

Oh, and when you read this **_chapter, take a look at the picture it was inspired by_**, you can find the link on my profile.

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**Unimportant Author's note:**THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS: THEY WERE MY CURE! (Well, they did make me feel better). And I don't own Naruto, otherwise YONDAIME WOULD BE RESURRECTED! (just so you know)

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**Babysitting Wars and Broken Watches**

"Are you sure you don't need us to babysit Naruto today?" The young ANBU asked his sensei, who was currently stressing his heart out.

Sure, Minato had a hard time raising Naruto, but he was a dedicated father. He hardly ever left his son out of eyeshot and at the slightest 'question' (read: Cry)him for food, Minato would instantly feed him. It was a quite adorable sight, seeing the two of them sitting there, on the floor, again.

Too bad Minato wasn't so dedicated to keeping his house clean, otherwise it would be picture perfect. But right now, there wasn't much floor left over to walk on, since it was half covered with empty bottles and scrolls, indicating how long they had been here. "You have an important meeting with the counsel, and you simply can't take Naruto with you, Sensei" He added "Are you REALLY sure?"

"Why n-" He was cut of by three death glares directed his way, and he knew he had lost the battle..."Alright…. BUT only for 2 hours."But not the war!

However, his sensei had other plans. "Don't worry Minato, I practacly raised you! I know how to look after a kid."

"But-" He tried, but was cut off by Tsunade, this time

"No buts mister!" Said woman had enough, which was quite visibly indicated by the twitching eyebrow and the growing vein on her forehead "An important step of raising your children is to let them go"

"I know, but not this soon! He's just 2 weeks old!" He retorted

"The earlier you start, the earlier you'll get used to it." Said Kakashi, who was reading a book called 'How-to-babysit-the-baby-of-your-overprotective-sensei', which surprisingly enough excisted. Without even looking up from the book, he replied. "Or were you planning on locking him up in the compound forever?" Although he already knew the answer.

"…. Maybe…"

"MINATO!"

"I'm going, I'm going! Just one more-" Minato said, looking for Naruto. Tsunade's anger started to reach it's peak, and Kakashi and Jiraiya knew this was just THE moment to leave the room. Hokage or not: Nobody was safe for Tsunade's fury.

Although it proved that not even a wall was capable of saving their ears from her scream.

"GET OUT! NOW!"

"HEY! You can't kick me out of my own h-AAAAAAHHH"

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It wasn't much trouble to get to the office, he was there in a 'flash'(1). But as he was walking to the room, he couldn't think but just why the meeting had to be so…

"Troublesome.."

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Little did he know that a woman and a man were walking just a little bit behind him with their newborn son, and said baby could hear him loud and clearly.

"Twblesme"

Yes, Nara Shikamaru was indeed a genius.(2)

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During the now named 'troublesome' meeting, Minato wasn't really focusing on the conversation. Of course, who would be able to think about possible wars and political stratigies, when his or her baby could be kidnapped at the moment? Or die of a heat stroke, not that those were so common in the winter, but you never knew, the weather was unpredictable after all. Or he could get a cold! Maybe if he could sneak out of the meeting with a shadow clone, then he could take a look if Naruto was okay.

Or if enemy ninja's had breached the seal on the wall.

Or if the house was still standing at all.

But just when he was about to use his ninja skills, the pain in lower areas of his body reminded him of WHO exactly was taking care of Naruto, and had quite clearly told him he wasn't allowed to come back anytime soon.

So he repositioned himself in his chair and started counting the remaining minutes, while thinking: 'Sorry Naruto, but you're on your own…, daddy'll be back in just 96 minutes'

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Just after Tsunade had kicked Minato out of the window, Kakashi and Jiraiya returned to the room, feeling it was safe now. They were just in time to hear her mumble something among the lines of:

"Sure I can"

Then she turned to face them, freaking them out just slightly, and asked them one thing they hadn't expected, not to say completely forgotten.

"Uhm... Guys, where is Naruto?"

A silence had never before been so dangerous.

"MINATO!"

Just when Tsunade was about to storm to the Hokage Tower, she saw a small little baby lying next to a half empty bottle of milk, and trying to hug it.

Her facial expression softened immediately at the adorable sight of the baby and it was so sweet, it took her 2 seconds longer then usual to realise the bottle had most likely been lying there for a couple of days, and it's containment wasn't very likely healthy for a little baby.

She tried to take the bottle from him, but Naruto wouldn't let go, and so began the first, but most certainly not the last, tug-o-war between Naruto and his babysitters.

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When the Hokage looked at his watch for the 6th time in the same minute, after at least an hour of doing so, an elder couldn't take it anymore.

"Is something wrong with your wrist, Hokage-sama?" He asked, completely failing at trying to hide his irritation. However, the Hokage was to busy with trying to find an excuse to notice. He almost had a good one, when he noticed something.

"Hey, can I borrow one of your watches, I think mine's broken…." He asked them, completely forgetting what he was being asked before.

Let's just say the elder's personal opinion of the Hokage dropped that day. A lot.

And it dropped even more after he heard min mutter something among the lines of 'Only 34 more minutes to go, and then daddy shall return, Naruto, that I swear.' Just a few minutes later.

Naruto was an interesting baby, that was for certain. And in just 1 hour and 26 minutes, they learned a lot about him and babies in general.

For example, they were far stronger than they looked like. When they're little hand caught something, it wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

They also discovered Naruto liked pulling things. Things like Kakashi's books, Jiraiya's notebook and Tsunade's hair. But there was one thing he liked best:

Unmasking Kakashi

Or maybe it was because of their reactions….

After all, two grown-ups trying to take pictures of a very annoyed teen's face, was quite the sight, even for a little baby.

However, nothing could beat the faces of said three persons when they heard the cry of joy after exactly 2 hours from the Hokage tower, and his son's reaction, who decided it was a good time to hit his babysitter in joy.

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**(1)** Yes, I had to do that.  
**(2) **I couldn't resist (again), I just like Shikamaru to much to NOT include him in every single story I have. Don't worry, he's not going to play a major role in this fic, I just could resist it, as I said before.

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VOILA!

Be a good Addict and review.

See you again next time!


	4. Of First Times

_**Important Authors note:**_ I'm a lot better now, thanks to a lot of help from many wonderfull people. For those who didn't know: I going through quite a big depression, and that 's why I didn't update for ages. However: the vacations started and I'm feeling better AND I have my own computer now, so I'll actually be able to write something down! Expect some major plot movements soon! I've got it all planned out, but I simply can't do all that much right now, so the actual writing part is the problematic part.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: _Of First times_

It was only four weeks and two days after Jiraiya had been called by his network to investigate some suspicious political movements in the Iwa. A change in power, but he and Tsunade agreed silently that it wouldn't probably be good thing for them. According to the messenger, a young woman with blood red hair, the woman who took over had done it in a way that wouldn't even be fit to be called violent. And although the report wasn't really graphic, the implications of the statement made by the writer in the second paragraph, made a little movement in power in Konoha as well.

In other words: Tsunade nor Orochimaru wanted their teammate to die by being forced to drink too much of his own blood, so decided to follow him. From a distance, of course. Since they didn't wanted him to think they too much cared for him. _They didn't want him to think they didn't trust him. _

Iwa had always been his number one enemy, since they took the first life of a precious person so many years ago. Granted, he took even more Iwa nin's lives in the many years on the battle field, but he would always stubbornly defend that he wasn't the one who had started the war. Not the one who had invaded the wave country and made him flee to Konoha in the first place. It was only a logical result of their greed for power and land which set him to become a ninja in the first place, and only coincidence he had seemed to be born to become a ninja.

It wasn't him who had captured Rin, not him who had killed Obito and not him who had broke an already broken Kakashi beyond repair. All what they left behind for him were the broke pieces of a village and a child that had once been the youngest chuunin in history.

But he had always thought he did a good job in protecting his village and it's citizens from them. They couldn't penetrate their defenses like Jiraiya had done. They couldn't foresee Konoha's movements like Orochimaru could. They couldn't interrogate their prisoners like Tsunade could.

Their Kage couldn't win this war like Minato could.

Or at least, so he thought, till he opened the door of his own house in the middle of the compound. The compound was as silent as ever, since he and his son were the only inhabitants. Truth to be told: it wasn't build for his family, and it's name hadn't always been 'the Namikaze' compound. The compound had been silent in all it's emptiness for many years before he had inhabited 5 years ago together with his girlfriend -now late wife– Uzumaki Kushina, before his name had been added with hers. It had been after Sandaime had announced the council that he would be his successor in only 2 years time, when the old man would retire after many years of duty and paperwork. The council had been expecting it, so apparently they had time to prepare a gift for him: a house. And not just one: 15 houses in an old yet comfortable compound. Apparently, it wasn't fitting for a Hokage to not have at least a mini village of his own, half in the village, half in the forrest. The compound had been peaceful from the moment he first set foot into it.

Today was no different, and that's what disturbed him. Deeply.

Living with Naruto (or Kushina, his mind provided him) was never boring, never relaxed and never, EVER peaceful. It could only mean one thing.

'She's gone' His mind supplied

That he knew, had somehow accepted together with the change of the seasons as the green leaves which turned red and reminded him of something he had lost. But there was something else lost today, together with the color.

Suddenly, everything turned black and white in Minato's world. Good and bad, nothing in between, no gray zone. Suddenly, the world seemed to have turned black completely, as if all color had drained from it's world in one single word. In a second, a new color arose with a new thought. A red color, a blood red statement:

He was gone. They were gone. Naruto could as well be dead, covered in his own _red_ blood.

"AAARGH!" He cried which held emotions that could kill any sane man.

But Minato wouldn't sit down and breakdown just yet, nothing had been confirmed yet. He could as well be still there. Lying in his crib, bathing in innocence and squishing the life out of his plushy fox. He could as well be…

Dead, was the only word that flashed through his mind when he saw something else than red walls in his son's nursery. It was a red hair, lying on the ground like it had been lying there all along. His eyes widened.

"Ku- Kushina?" He whispered, picking up the hair from the floor.

It was about 20cm long, and though Kushina's hair had been a lot longer in the last years of her life and it smelled nothing like the baby powder scent it'd possessed before, Minato couldn't help but think that it had been one his late wife's. Her hear had been about that length when they had first met , after all. Almost forgetting the reason why he had entered this particular room just a few seconds ago. He looked around.

He didn't saw his wife.

His son wasn't anywhere to be seen either.

This brought him back to reality as realization hit him like a brick. They had both been here. He took a few shaky steps through the room, as his mind pondered further on it. 'Did she take him away? Away to what, to heaven? Is he dead?' But as much as he thought about it, it didn't make any sense, and neither did the hair he still held in his hand.

He flashed through the compound even without using his famous jutsu: the thought of losing his only son and only light in the darkness making him incapable of using any kind of jutsu.

The world moved in black and white. The couch was white, the kitchendoor was white, the table was black, the carpet was red, the-

'Wait!' He halted his search when a small drip of blood lit up in the night.

He bend of to see it better, almost asking it to tell him it didn't have any family. Sadly,he noticed a second one decorating the floor and smiled an halfhearted smile: He might now have trail, but he also knew that his son was hurt.

The unspoken question lingered in his mind, but he didn't answer nor acknowledged because he didn't know, and he was afraid what the answer could be.

So he headed towards the second one, but passed it without a single glance. The trail, and the uneasy feeling, send him to the garden. When he passed it, he couldn't help but smell it, and he suddenly realized something:

'I am a ninja. I am a Hokage. I must remain calm.'

He pushed his fear - fear of losing everything and more- forcefully away into the deepest core of his mind. His stomach kept aching, but his training as a ninja kicked in after one deep breath.

Than it all went so fast. The moment the sigh left his lips, he sensed a familiar yet unknown chakra signature. He calculated with precision gained by years and years of experience the distance between them. Apparently, the signature was masked, but not completely. So the man was an specialized infiltrant, since all other shinobi would fully mask it. It was an old trick in the spy-branch: it was to make it seem appear that it was just an normal civilian, and the situation would be underestimated. However the unfamiliar familiar person should have known that such tricks didn't work on a Hokage.

Minato noted that the man had halted. He could barely suppress his mind which was forming the implications of such statement, but couldn't help but fear for his son's life. Was he going to kill Naruto just there and then?

Before he could ask himself if he had failed yet again, he flashed to the garden, sitting in the tree on which he had placed the seal. From there, he could see the man.

His clothing was black, his skin white and his hair was red. Blood red. He had seen it before, and not long ago.

Than it was over in a flash. He barely registered pulling a Kunai out of his jacket, storming at the man and stabbing him in the back before the man could even turn around. Even before the messenger could provide him with an answer why,- why betray Jiraiya's trust? Why steal his son? Why?- the man died and dropped a small bundle his murderer could barely catch before it hit the ground.

Blood red was suddenly staining green grass.

And suddenly all color returned to his world as he pulled Naruto up and touched his son's bloodstained blond hairs with his own sticky red hands in a way to comfort the little one. Tears didn't seize appearing in his eyes, but the sobs stopped and were replaced by words.

"Kushina, thank you for being his guardian angel." He said to the warmth he felt on his back, and unconsciously noted that the world seemed brighter suddenly.

Which wasn't strange, since the since suddenly the sun had broken through and shone upon his back with all it's comforting warmth.

He also failed to notice the fact that the kidnapper, who lay dead and abandoned in a small puddle of his own blood at exactly the same place where he had drawn his last breath's short red hair shone brightly in the light.

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When Kakashi went to check up on his sensei two weeks later on a Sunday evening to check up a rumor among ANBU about a failed attempt to kidnap the Hokage's son, he saw the hair as well, but this time it wasn't lying on the ground. It was stuffed away in a small glass box and placed on a little table seated in the hall which hadn't been there before. It was accompanied by a few pictures of a familiar redhead in a golden frame and a single lit candle.

When he asked his sensei about the little altar's position, Minato told him that if Kushina's soul would enter the house, she would know she was never forgotten. After that, he kept telling Kakashi how Kushina had been in his house to protect Naruto from the fake messenger.

Kakashi bit back a few sharp comments on the fact that Kushina was dead and couldn't bring himself to ask what had happened with the imposter. Because for all the sanity his sensei might or might not have lost in the few weeks, – no months- His sensei was smiling.

A sincere, fox like smile crossed Minato's face for the first time in months.

He however didn't fail to notice how said man's eyes had looked a lot more suspicious of everything around him, nor the way he held his son.

So when he left made his way out of the compound later that night, he didn't ask Kushina to protect Naruto from the sound nin, but from 'protection'.

* * *

He wasn't even slightly surprised when he heard a year later, after a long term mission, that Minato had drastically transformed the layout of the Namikaze compound.

* * *

**FIRST: THE PLOT IS STARTING TO SURFACE!** I hope you get the hints, but I'll point out a very important one: Kushina was never there, but Minato does think she was. This is actually an important part of the story

I hope you feel your **timeskip-senses** tingling, because we're going to one of the more important parts of the story: You get to guess just how old the main character of the second arc will be.

And for those who are interested in plot development spoilers: Minato is going to be different from all his gary sue versions I've read in other stories. HE ISN'T PERFECT GUYS! He'll have a few very important flaws, though not in the battle field. But don't worry guys: He'll always be a good guy.

**Now, over to something important:** there will be a few side story lines, and **if you want to know who and what, you'll have to ask me**, because I'm not going to spoil it for those who want to wait patiently. (Two of them don't even surface till the third arc)

Oh, and this story will most likely have 5 arcs: the first being the shortest and the fourth being the longest. Just so you know.

Also, for those interested in why and **how Minato survived the sealing**: Yes it's an important part of the story line and it won't be revealed anytime soon. (Not before the fourth arc)

Oh, and Orochimaru is not a missing nin, and he might never be… (did anybody say side story?)

Well, if you want to know more, just ask me. (And review down here )And another huge thank you for those who supported me the last months.


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